1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger. The present invention is effectively applied to a radiator, for vehicle use, which is mounted on a vehicle and arranged close to a front grille of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the cooling capacity of a radiator has been enhanced by increasing the surface area of each fin while the weight and size of the radiator has been reduced by decreasing the wall thickness of the fin.
In this connection, when the fin thickness is reduced, it is possible to reduce the weight of a radiator and increase the surface area of the fin. However, the mechanical strength of the fin is lowered. Therefore, for example, when the radiator for vehicle use is washed with water at high pressure, the fin is deformed by the water pressure, and the heat exchanging capacity (cooling capacity) of the fin (especially, the fin in which a louver is formed) is lowered.
In this connection, as it is well known, the louvers are formed by cutting and raising a portion of the fin so that portions of the fin can be formed into a louvers for enhancing the heat transfer coefficient.